This invention relates to a method for processing of a light-sensitive silver halide color photographic material (hereinafter referred to as a light-sensitive material), particularly to a stabilizing processing method which performs substantially no water washing step subsequent to the desilverization step.
In recent years, in a photo-finisher which performs automatically and continuously the developing processing of a light-sensitive material, the problems of conservation of environment and water resource are of particularly important concern, and it has been desired that the great amount of water to be used in the step of washing with water subsequent to fixing or bleach-fixing processing should be reduced or made zero. For this purpose, there have been proposed techniques in which direct stabilizing processing is conducted without washing with water after processing of fixing or bleach-fixing. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 8542/1982, 132146/1982, 14834/1982, 18631/1983 disclose techniques to perform processing with stabilizing solutions containing isothiazoline derivatives, benzisothiazoline derivatives, soluble iron complexes, polycarboxylic acids, organic phosphonic acids.
These techniques concern the methods for inhibition or prevention of the problems generated by the fixing or bleach-fixing components brought about by the light-sensitive material into the water washing-substitutive stabilizing solution (herein meant to be a stabilizing solution which may be used as a substitute for water washing), but any technique cannot be practically provided for use at a certain level or higher of the fixing and bleach-fixing components, and a supplemental amount of the stabilizing solution is required to be used at a certain level or higher. Particularly, if the fixing and bleach-fixing component concentration in the final bath for the water washing-substitutive stabilizing solution is increased, there is involved the drawback that yellow stain at the unexposed portion of a light-sensitive material due to storage for a long term will be increased.
Accordingly, as the method for overcoming the above problems, the present inventors have proposed the methods according to concentration regulating treatment of the water washing-substitutive stabilizing solution as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Nos. 77813/1984, 96350/1984, 96352/1984 and 119153/1984.
However, as a new problem, it has been found that practice of the above concentration regulating treatment will result in formation of a thin film on the surface of the water washing-substitutive stabilizing solution, when it is left to stand for a long term after continuous processing in an automatic developing machine, etc. Such a thin film is not only unfavorable in appearance, but also ensues a problem that it is attached on the light-sensitive material.